At its Nov. 9 meeting, the Airway Heights Planning Commission conducted a State Environmental Policy Act public hearing on the Basalt Ridge Apartment Complex project.
The complex, which is being developed by Whitewater Creek Inc.on the northeast corner of Sixth Avenue and a stretch of road that will become an extension of Ketchum Street.
According to the SEPA checklist, the complex will be 12 buildings with 240 units and a separate “community center building.” Development Services Director Derrick Braaten said the area has been zoned for multi-family residential (R-3) since 2006.
The project’s SEPA determination was deemed nonsignificance with some minor mitigation measures. The measures include designing buildings to reduce any exterior sound, as heard from the inside of the unit by 20-30 decibels.
All lighting on the site will be directed toward the ground and not shine upwards or encroach onto other property. According to the SEPA, lighting plans will be submitted to and reviewed by Fairchild Air Force Base. This is to ensure lights from the site do not create a conflict with nighttime flight operations.
Half-street frontage improvements will be required along Sixth Avenue, the future Ketchum Drive and Whitetip Avenue.
The developer must also contribute $1,029 per unit for the Craig Road-U.S. Highway 2 intersection project. They must also pay a park mitigation fee of $1,110 per one-bedroom unit, $2,220 per two-bedroom apartment and $2,775 per three-bedroom unit.
Braaten added that the traffic impact analysis for the project is currently under review.
“If there are any additional mitigation requests, they can be required,” Braaten said.
The project’s developer has already built three projects in Airway Heights. Todd Prescott, president of Whitewater Creek, said the complex will be rented to a certain income group of people.
“We own these units long term and we’re going to keep an eye on everything,” he added. Prescott and his wife began Whitewater Creek in 1994 and have built and maintained several low-moderate income apartment complexes in the region.
Prescott said there will be a bunch of water and sewer lines, totaling $2-3 million in permit fees.
Commissioner Matthew Pederson voiced his concern about the amount of increased traffic from the complex on Sixth Avenue and other streets.
“Sixth Avenue is already taking a lot of stress from drivers, speeding and stop sign issues,” Pederson said.
Resident Mark Sherwin said he and others are also concerned about the traffic along Sixth and Whitetip avenues that could stem from the project.
“Traffic is going to be terrible for residents who already live there,” Sherwin said. “I’m not against the development, but I’m seriously worried about traffic.”
Braaten said he would speak with the engineers about the timeline for traffic improvements on Sixth Avenue.
Al Stover can be reached at [email protected].
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